Ammunition trimming apparatus



June 8 1943 M. L. SAPPENFIELD 2,321,323

AMMUNITION TRIMMING APPARATUS Filed March 18, '1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ifly! I INVENTOR I Mano/z L. Sappe/gfikld June 1943- MIL. SAPPENFIELD 2AMMUNITION TRIMMING APPARATUS Filed March 18, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR an'on L, Sap rel; fie/l1 I BY #140606 a. AGENT Patented June 8,1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,321,323 AMMUNITION TRIMMING APPARATUSMarion L. Sappenfield, Kansas to Remington Arms 0cm City, Mo., assignorpany, Inc., Bridgeport,

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for cutting-off or trimming metallictubes or tubular device for segregating the trimmings and the trimmedarticles.

For the sake of clarity and conciseness, it is proposed to confine thedescription of the invention to its application will be understood thatthis particular adaptation is for he purpose of illustration only andthat the invention may have other similar and equivwithin the scope ofthe appended In the manufacture of a. certain cartridge case a disk orblank of suitable metal such as brass the form of a stripping the scrapring and trimmed tube 01f of the mandrel.

In order to segregate the scrap rings and the discharge orifices or ofan inch in a blast of air into the the mandrel. It has been found,however, that in the absence of means for urging the scrap rings intothe scrap chutes these trimmings will o astray and get mixed with thetrimmed cases or foul the operation of the machine.

One solution of this difiiculty has been to direct scrap discharge chutefrom a position opposite the'chute orifice. The trimmed tube, beingconsiderably heavier than the scrap ring, passes over the scrap chuteunaffected by the blast of air while the scrap ring, being relativelylight, is deflected and blown down into the chute.

While this expedient has been used extensively, it does not effectpositive ejectionof the scrap and consequently foul g and otherirregularities frequently occur which greatly impair the efliciency ofthe machine. Furthermore, the in stallation of an air blast in eachmachine requires extensive piping and rel tively expensive equipment. f

7 It is an object of this invention to provide a device for positivelydeflecting and ejecting scrap material from a tube trimming machine. Afurther object is to provide scrap ejecting means adapted tobe traversedby the adapted to be supported and oscillated by the article to betrimmed so as to engage the scrap and positively retard and deflect thelatter on ejection of the trimmed article.

Various other objects, features and advantages of the invention will bedescribed in detail in the specification which follows, reference beingmade to the drawings in which:

Fig. l is a front elevation of the scrap ejecting device of thisinvention shown mounted adjacent the scrap chute of a tube trimmingmachine of which a fragmentary view is shown.

Fig. 2 is a plane view of the ejecting device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view of the ejecting device and trim ming machine of Fig. 1,the ejector being displaced from its normal position so as to engage thescrap ring.

Fig. 5 is a view of the ejecting device and trimming machine of Fig. l,the ejector being displaced from its position shown in Fig. 4 to itseffective position.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front elevation of a modification of the scrapejector.

scrap ejecting Fig. 7 is a fragmentary end elevation of the modificationshown in Fig. 6.

The term normal as hereinafter used, shall be understood to designatethat position from which an element moves or is moved to perform itsfunction or functions, while the terms right hand and left hand shall beunderstood to designate the right and left sides, respectively, of themachine or element as viewed in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, Ill is the base of the trimming machine onwhich is mounted a head-stock II and tail-stock iii. A mandrel I3 isrotatably mounted in the head-stock with its free end substantiallyadjacent the orifice of a scrap chute M. to is the yoke portion of amandrel stripper which comprises a bushing carried on the mandrel andreciprocated thereon by the yoke, the latter being actuated by asuitable cam means, not shown, from its normal position adjacent thehead-stock H to its effective position which is substantially adjacentthe free end of the mandrel as shown in Fig. 5. The tailstock 12supports a pusher rod 16 which is in axial alignment with the mandrel l3and which is advanced by suitable mechanism in the tailstock from itsnormal position to a position overlying the scrap chute orifice, seeFig. 4. The tubular articles or cartridge tubes are automatically fed,open end first, onto the free'end of the rotating mandrel I3 by thetubes being transferred from a suitable supply IT to a position in frontof the retracted pusher rod by an oscillating sector [8 which is ofwellknown construction. It will be clear that the sliding fit betweenthe mandrel and tube is sufficiently snug so that tube will bepositively rotated by rotation of the mandrel. The cutter for trimmingoff th mouth of each tube is a disk l9 which is carried on a horizontalshaft 20 which, in turn, is rotatably supported at each end by asuitable dead center mounted at opposite ends respectively of a yokemember 22. A hub or pulley 2| is secured on the shaft 20 and is adaptedto be driven by a suitable drive belt, not shown, whereby the shaft 29and cutter H] are rotated. The yoke 22 is pivoted as at 23, 23 to themachine bed and oscillated by suitable means, not shown so as to carrythe rotating cutter l9 into engagement with a rotating tube. 24 is aconventional screw threaded adjusting means, in engagement with thepivoted yoke, for adjusting the cutting edge of the disk H) with respectto the tube. A discharge chute for the trimmed tubes is indicated at 25.

The above description is of a conventional trimming machine well adaptedto the purposes of this invention, but it will be understood that theinvention, as defined in the appended claims, is not limited thereto butmay be used in conjunction with any suitable tube trimming or cutoffmachine.

The scrap ejecting device of this invention comprises two principalmembers designated generally as 36 and 3!, the member 3! being pivotablysupported on the fixed member by a bolt 32 which is secured by a nut 33in axially aligned hoies 34, 34 of the members 39 and 3! respectively.These holes ar drilled eccentric to the geometrical centers of themembers 39 and SI and are shown located in the upper left hand portionof each member in order to obtain substantially the maximum longitudinaldisplacement of any point on one member relative to the correspondingpoint on the other. It will be clear, however, that the eccentricity ofthe pivot pusher rod Hi, the

' by turning the nuts point may be varied somewhat without affecting anysubstantial change in the operation of the invention as hereinafterdescribed.

The fired member 36 comprises a rectangular base plate, hereinafterreferred to as a base member or bracket, supported in a substantiallyvertical plane lengthwise of the machine by an integrally formedL-shaped leg 35. The leg may be secured at its lower extremity by bolts38 to any fixed part of the machine such as the bed or, as shown in Fig.l, to a wall of the scrap chute it. The leg 35 is also provided with aright bend as at 35', see Fig. 3, in order to position the pivotedmember 3| in substantially the vertical plane of the machine mandrel l3.

The upper edge of the base plate 30 adjacent its right hand corner, asseen in Fig. 1, extends upwardly a suitable distance to form an elevatedbearing surface 31, having a rounded corner at 31. Adjacent the lowerright hand corner of the plate 33 is formed, or suitably secured bybolts, a lug 38 which projects forwardly substantially at right anglesto the plane of the plate 30, and is adapted to constitute a stop forthe pivoted member 3!.

The pivoted member 3|, hereinafter referred to as a carrier or carriermember, is also rectangular and substantially of the same overalldimensions as th base member 313. An arm 40 projects upwardly at anangle of substantially degrees from the lower left hand corner of thecarrier SI and terminates in a ball weight 4| which may be formed as anintegral part of the arm or may be attached thereto by a threadedconnection.

The portion of the carrier comprising the right hand edge thereof isformed as a substantially vertical channel 42 which, as shown in Fig. 2,is formed by making a U shaped rectangular bend in the plate 3i, withthe open side of the bend facing rearwardly. When the carrier 3| ismounted on the base vplate or bracket 30, the latter forms, in effect,the fourth and closing side of the channel 42, the right hand edge ofthe channel normally abutting the stop member 38.

The channel 42 is adapted to carry a rectangular post 43 having asliding fit in the channel and supported therein bya pair of nuts 44which are adjustable on the upper screw-threaded shank portion 65 of thepost 43 and adapted to engage the elevated bearing surface 31. Thus 45,the post 43 may be raised or lowered in its channel or guide 42. It willbe clear that when the carrier 3| rotates about the pivot pin 32, thenut 44, which is in engagement with the bearing surface 31, will rideover the rounded corner 31' thereof, the corner 31' being suitablycontoured for this purpose.

Referring to Fig. 3, the lower end of the post 43 is reduced in size soas to form a tongue 46 which is provided with a hole 41 drilledtransversely to the axis of the mandrel and of suitable diameter toreceive an axle 48 which may be secured in the hole 41 with a press fit.Each end of the axle is extended on respective sides of the tongue torotatably support a disk 50 having an inwardly beveled face 5|. Thedisks 50 may be retained on the ends of the axle 48 by any suitablemeans such as cotter pins 52, and are sufficiently spaced apart by thetongue so that the beveled faces 5| will engage corresponding areas onthe opposite sides of the tubes.

In operation, as a tube 53 is fed onto the mandrel [3 by the pusher rodHi, the upper surface of the tube engages the beveled faces 5| of thedisks 50, which in their normal position,-are suitably adjusted toproject downwardly slightly into the path of the advancing tube. Whenthe leading edge of the tube engages the beveled surfaces 5|, the post43, carrying the disks 50, is lifted in the channel 42 of the carrier 3|which, in turn, pivots clockwise (see Fig. 1); simultaneously the disksare traversed by the tube 53 until the latter reaches its fully advancedposition on the mandrel. Except for the pivotal mounting of the carrierthe tube in its fully advanced position would have passed beyond thedisks and consequ n y the latter would no longer be supported and woulddrop to their normal position. While it is possible that verticaldisplacement only of the disks 50 would suffice to positively deflectthe trimmed scrap in the manner hereinafter described, it is preferable,in order to avoid scratching or deforming the tube due to excessivefriction between the engaging surfaces of the tube and disks, to permitthe carrier 3! to pivot as hereinabove described, whereby the disks maymove not only upwardly but substantially 1ongitudinally with the tube toa position such as indicated in Fig. 4. This pivotal movement of thecarrier is further desirable in order to withdraw and withhold the diskfrom their normal position, for it will be clear that if the disks werepermitted to drop down to their normal position immediately after thetube had been advanced onto the mandrel, the disks would then lie in thepath of the trimmed tube as it was being stripped from the mandrel andmight possibly deflect or retard the ejection thereof.

As soon as the tube onto the mandrel, the cutter l9 moves intoengagement with the rotating tube and cut off a piece of scrap 54 which,of course, is supported by the mandrel. Thereafter the cutter returns toits normal position and the stripper I5 advances to engage the scrapring 54 and strip the scrap and tube oil of the mandrel. As the tube isbeing stripped from the mandrel, the frictional engagement of itssurface with the beveled surfaces 5| tends simultaneously to rotate thedisks 50 and to pivot the carrier back to its normal position.Consequently, when the relatively rough edges 54' f the cut made by thecutter engage the surfaces the frictional contact is sufiicient to pivotthe carrier and so return it to its normal position, the taperedsurfaces 5! of the disks being in positive engagement with the cut edge5 of the scrap ring 54. Hence, as the tube and the scrap ring areprojected oil of the end of the mandrel, the tube 53 is substantiallyfree from contact with the disks, and continues its flight uncheckeduntil it drops into its chute 25, wherefiected into the discharge chutel4, ment being assisted by the drop of part 43 to its normal position inthe guide way, bringing the adjusting nuts 44 into contact with surface31. It will be evident that the normal position of the disks 50 relativeto the varied somewhat by the adjusting nuts 44 so that the weight orfrictional engagement of the disks with the tube may be increased ordecreased. By this adjustable feature, full advantage may be taken ofthe relative weights of the tube and scrap ring so that the maximumweight of the disks may be applied to retard and deflect the relativelylight-weight scrap ring without affecting deflection of the relativelyheavy trimmed tube.

A modification of the means for retarding and 53 has been fully advancedpath of the tube may be iii the end of a post ejecting scrap ring isshown in Figures 6 and 7. These drawings show a single disk 55 having aby two beveled surfaces 56 and mounted in a slot 51 formed in 43'. Itwill be noted that the axis 58 of the disk 55 is parallel to the axis ofthe mandrel so that the disk is transverse thereto.

This modification operates substantially in the manner above described,but as shown in Fig. 6, the blunt edge 56 is adapted to actually catchin the cut 60 formed in the tube 53, thus efiecting more positiveengagement of the trimmed edge 54' of the scrap ring 54 with bevelededge 56 of the disk 55. As in the previous case, as the disk 55 is beingreturned to its normal position its beveled surface 56 retards the scrapring 54 and finally deflects the ring from its normal path into thescrap ejection chute M. The beveled surface 56 is also adapted to act asa cam surface which facilitates the elevation of the disk when engagedby the leading edge of the advancing tube.

Although the above description has been given with respect to suitablemeans for trimming a metal cartridge tube, it will be understood thatany other kind of tubular article may be so trimmed and that othervariations and modifications in the invention may be made within thescope of the appended claims, which claims are to be broadly construed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a work-trimming machine, the combination comprising work-holdingmeans, work-trimming means and means for ejecting work and scrap fromsaid work-holding means, and gravity actuated means supported directlyon said work and scrap during their ejection movement for directing thescrap into a scrap receptacle.

2. In a work-trimming machine, the combination comprising work-holdingmeans, work trimming means and means for ejecting the work and scrapfrom said work holding means, and gravity actuated means supporteddirectly on and traversed by said work and scrap during the ejectionthereof to positively deflect the scrap into a scrap receptacle.

3. In a tube trimming machine, the combination with a mandrel, means formoving a tube from a supply into alignment with said mandrel, means formoving said tube onto said mandrel, means for trimming said tube andmeans for removing said tube and trimming from said mandrel; of meansfor positively deflecting the trimming out of the wake of the tube.

4. In a tube trimming machine, the combination with a mandrel, means formoving a tube from a supply into alignment with said mandrel, means formoving said tube onto said mandrel, means for trimming said tube andsingle means for removing said tube and trimming from said mandrel; of adischarge chute for the trimmings and means for positively deflectingthe trimmings into the chute from said mandrel.

5. In a tube trimming machine, the combina tion with a mandrel, meansfor moving a tube from a supply into alignment with said mandrel,

blunt edge formed 56' and rotatably tion with a mandrel, means formoving a tube from a supply into alignment with said mandrel, means formoving said tube onto said mandrel, means for trimming one end of saidtube and means for removing said tube and trimming from said mandrel; ofa discharge chute for the trimmings and means for positively deflectingthe trimmings into the chute, said means comprising a carrier and anelement slidably mounted on said carrier and adapted to be moved withrespect thereto when engaged by said tube.

7. In a tube trimming machine, the combination with a mandrel, means formoving a tube from a supply into alignment with said mandrel, means formoving said tube onto said mandrel, means for trimming one end of saidtube and means for removing said tube and trimming from said mandrel; ofa discharge chute for the trimmings and means for positively deflectingthe trimmings into the chute, said means comprising a fixed bracket, acarrier pivoted to said bracket, and a discoidal member mounted on saidcarrier for longitudinal displacement with respect thereto and adaptedto be displaced upwardly by the engagement with the surface of saidtube.

8. In a tube trimming machine, the combination with a mandrel, means formoving a tube from a supply into alignment with said mandrel, means formoving said tube onto said mandrel,

means for trimming one end of said tube and means for removing said tubeand trimming from said mandrel; of a discharge chute for the trimmingsand means for positively deflecting the trimmings into the chute, saidmeans comprising a fixed bracket, a carrier pivoted to said bracket andhaving a channel portion, a post slidable in said channel and an elementon the lower end of said post having a beveled surface adapted to engagethe trimmings.

9. In a tube trimming machine, the combination with a mandrel, means formoving a tube from a supply into alignment with said mandrel, means formoving said tube onto said mandrel, means for trimming one end of saidtube and means for removing said tube and trimming from said mandrel; ofa discharge chute for the trimmings and means for positively deflectingthe trimmings into the chute, said means comprising a fixed bracket, acarrier pivoted to said bracket and having a channel portion, a postslidable in said channel, means for adjusting said post in said channeland a wheel rotatively carried on the lower end of said post having abeveled surface adapted to engage the cut made in the tube by saidtrimming means.

MARION L. SAPPENFIELD.

